Charging-machine.



PATENTED JULY 21, 1903.

No. 733,929u

Hz. AIKEN. I GHARGING MACHINE.

APP'LIGATION FILED MAY 15, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 N0 MODEL.

mvsm'on m 0PM PATENTED JULY 21, 1903.

H. AIKEN. CHARGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY'lfi, 1903.

WITNESSES No. 733,929. PATENTED JULY 21,1903. 11-. AIKEN.

CHARGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1903.

H0 MODEL. 7 3 SHBETS SHEET 3.

WITNIfSIB; I INVENTORQCQI 126% Ola M Vega/kw 7 UNITED STATES Patented July 21, 1903.

HENRY AIKEN, OFPITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

cI- ARGIN -MA HINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 733,929, dated July 21, 1903.

Application filed May 15,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY AIKEN, of Pittsburg, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have invented a. new and useful Charging-Ma.

chine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation show ingmy improved charging-machine in operative position. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view showing the track arrangement on the 'overhead crane for the charging-machine proper. Fig. 3 is a top plan view, and Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation, both on a larger scale, showing the operating mechanism formoving and turning the box. Fig.5 is a crosssectional view on the line V V of Fig. 4., and Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section showing the wiringconnections and the relative arrangement of the crane-girders and the charging-machine.

My invention relates to the class of chargingmachines, whether used for charging boxes into an open-hearth or other furnace or for engaging and charging ingots or pieces of metal.

The object of the invention is to provide a removable charging-machine which when in with the box, the means for moving the machine on the crane, &c.

In the'drawings, 2 represents the general framework of an overhead crane having wheels 3, traveling upon overhead tracks/t,

7 being the charging-floor, supported upon cross-columns 8. The transverse members of this overhead crane consist of deep girders 1903. Serial No. 157,216. (No model.)

9 9, upon which the rails 4. are supported at their tops. On these rails is supported the trolley 10 of the overhead crane, which'trolley may be of ordinary type in its general structure. The drums on this main trolley are indicated by the circles, and the electrical connections for such motors consist of shoes 11, secured to a depending hanger 12 at the side of the trolley, which shoes are insulated from each other and contact with a series of trolley-Wires 12, extending alongside of the girder member of the crane.

The crane-girders are provided at their ,lower inner edges with angles 13, forming tracks fora supplemental trolley 14., having of the charging-machine trolley sufliciently to allow the wheels 15 of the auxiliary trolley to drop down between them. When it is desired to use the charging-machine, it is lifted up through the cut-away parts of the track and then moved forward until its wheels rest on the rails 13. Its rotary motor is then electrically connected by plugging in a cable 16, which contains four wires, leading from the shoes of the main trolley. The auxiliary trolley is moved back and forth on its rails by detachable hook connections with the main trolley, (indicated at 17.)

On the framework of the auxiliary trolley ismounted a rotating motor 18, with brake mechanism 19, actuated bysolenoids 20. .The

pinion 21 on the shaft of this motor engages a toothed wheel 22 on the counter-shaft 23, which carries a pinion 24, intermeshing with toothed wheel 25, secured to a tubular support 26. This tubular support is mounted is arranged to fit within the usual socket 31 on the end of the charging-box. The end portion of the charging-bar in the rear of the head rests upon the lower portion 31 of the socket at the bottom of the open slot in the side of the socket, and in the rear of this crossbar the charging-bar is provided with depending flanges 32, having outwardly-extending lips 33. The box is locked to the chargingbar by means of a sliding holder 34, having a central post or pin 35, which fits up between the fianges and within the hollow body of the bar, this holder also having upwardly and inwardly curved flanges 36, which engage the flanges of the bar. The holder is moved endwise by means of an inner slide 37 within the bar, having a stem or rod 38 extending to the rear end of the tubular support 26 and actuated by a hand-lever 89. The slide engages the upwardly-projecting post on the holder within the charging-bar. When the holder is moved forward, its lower front end portion, at which the side flanges are cut away, is moved under the box-socket in the position shown in Fig. l. The box is thus locked to and supported by the charging-bar,

so that it can be actuated in the usual manner.

The auxiliary trolley is raised and lowered in placing it on the frame or removing it from the frame by means of the hooks 17, engaging the frame of the auxiliary trolley and actuated by chains 40, which lead upwardly to the winding-drums on the cranetrolley. These same connections serve to move the auxiliary trolley along on its track when the main trolley is moved.

In using the apparatus the charging-machine may be lowered and deposited upon the ground at any desired point. The overhead crane may then be used in the ordinary manner for carrying materials to and depositing them along the front of the open-hearth furnaces, also for distributing the filled boxes on the supports in front of the charging-openings, for carrying molten metal in ladies, or any other desired purpose. When it is desired to charge an open-hearth furnace, the overhead crane is moved to a point over the chargingmachine, the machine is lifted, 5o drawn up between the cut-away portions of its tracks on the crane, and then carried forward and lowered ontothe tracks 13. The plug connection for the electric current is then made, and the charging-machine is used in the ordinary manner. The box is secured to the charging-bar by operating the handlever. The box is moved into the furnace by moving the trolleys and is turned to discharge its contents by actuating a controller which is placed in the operating-cage, which controls the connections to the rotary motor on the charging-machine.

The advantages of my invention result from the use of a detachable charging-ma- 65 chine which forms a removable part of an overhead crane. The cost of the apparatus is greatly lessened, the charging-machine is out of the way when the overhead crane is being used, and the actuating mechanism for the main trolley serves to move the chargingmachine back and forth on the crane.

The charging-machine trolley may be permanently mounted on the crane and operated either by a detachable connection with the main trolley or by independent connections, and many variations may be made in the form and arrangement of the overhead crane, the charging-machine, and the mechanism for operating them without departing from my invention.

I claim- 1. The combination with an overhead crane, of a charging-machine removably supported thereon; substantially as described.

2. An overhead crane having a main trolley, an auxiliary trolley, and a charging-machine carried by the auxiliary trolley; substantially as described.

3. An overhead crane having a main trolley, an auxiliary trolley, a charging-machine carried by the auxiliary trolley, and a severable connection between said trolleys; substantially as described.

4. The combination with an overhead crane havinga main trolley, of an auxiliary trolley removably supported on the crane, and a charging-machine supported by the auxiliary trolley; substantially as described.

5. The combination with an overhead crane having a main trolley movable along tracks thereon, of auxiliary tracks parallel to the main track, and a charging-machine having a trolley removably supported on the auxiliary tracks; substantially as described.

6. An overhead crane having two sets of parallel tracks, a trolley movable on each track, and a detachable connection between the trolleys arranged to actuate the auxiliary trolley when the main trolley is moved; substantially as described.

7. An overhead crane having auxiliary tracks with a portion thereof cut away, an auxiliary trolley arranged to be drawn up through the cut-away portion and rest on the auxiliary track, and a charging-machine carried by the auxiliarytrolley; substantially as described.

8. In a charging-machine, a charging-bar having a head, and a slide on the bar arranged to be moved under the socket on the charging-box; substantially as described.

' 9. A charging-machine having achargingbar with ledges, a hanging slide on said ledges, and a connection arranged to move the slide forward under the socket on the charging-box; substantially as described.

10. In a charging-machine, a hollow charging-bar, a slide supported on its front portion, and a connection extending back through the hollow bar and arranged to move the slide forward and under the socket on the chargmeans for moving the connection to force the slide forward and under the charging-box socket; substantially as described. 10

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY AIKEN.

Witnesses:

GEO. B. BLEMING, JOHN MILLER. 

